KUCHING: Sarawak’s initiative to set up international schools in the state was to ensure better education for Sarawak children, said Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang.
He said English was an accepted official medium after Bahasa Malaysia for the Sarawak government. It was also an international language for science and technology.
“One has to be fluent in it to be able to compete globally. How can we compete with others if we do not have proficiency in English?
“That is why our chief minister, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is farsighted enough to see the need for a change in the education system in order to move forward.
“This is not about being disloyal to the federal government. It is all about ensuring good education for our younger generations,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 27).
Lo was responding to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)’s educationist, Prof Datuk Dr Teo Kok Seong who poured cold water on the state government’s proposal to set up international schools by saying that it was against the law.
Teo went as far as saying that the proposal was not right and there must be uniformity as far as government entities were concerned. He also advised the state government to import British teachers to have a more efficient way of improving the command of English.
To this, Lo described Teo’s remarks as “appalling and narrow-minded”.
He pointed out that the state government’s initiative would also improve job opportunities for capable Sarawak teachers.
“He can do whatever he wants in his own university but he should leave Sarawak government’s education plans and policies alone,” said Lo.
“Who was the Federal Minister of Education in those years when the medium of education was changed from English to Bahasa Melayu?
“To make matters worse, the minister of education they appointed after that had a hard time deciding between black and white shoes. By the time they realised the English standard needed to be addressed and tried to switch from Bahasa Melayu to English as well as teach Maths and Science in English language, the harm had already been done.”
Lo further highlighted that it was important for Sarawak to get back its autonomy in education.
“That is why we should start with our own international schools where the syllabus is not determined by the Ministry of Education from Malaya.
“Sarawakians are fed up with the sporadic change in the education policy with every change of the education minister,” he said.
